Flood: Ex-lawmaker faults FG’s N17bn release to states

A former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Ralph Okeke, yesterday, faulted the Federal Government’s decision to channel the N17.6 billion flood disaster relief fund through the governments of the affected states. According to Okeke, the bureaucracy in government would eventually reduce the fund by 50 percent before it gets down to the victims.

While commending President Goodluck Jonathan’s quick response by mapping out fund to assist the flood victims in 35 states, the former lawmaker, however, expressed fears that victims of the natural disaster now in various refugee camps might not get the benefits for which the fund was intended.

“My problem is the channel through which this assistance will get to the victims.

Sending the fund through so many Ministries, Agencies, Departments and a Presidential Committee, will eventually reduce the fund to about 50 percent before the assistance arrives its destinations not because anybody is a thief but because of government bureaucracy,” he said.

Noting that the government does not know what the flood victims need at this point in time, Okeke added, “this money (N17.6bn) may be wasted on things that the direct victims will not need and appreciate, and the result is that we shall keep hearing of billions and more billions but in the end, nobody will see anything and therefore no assistance as usual.”

He said that as an indigene of the most affected area in the country (Anambra West LGA of Anambra State), “I know what would be meaningful to these suffering flood victims; what they really want is direct financial assistance.”

“The little money they will get individually will enable them survive the impending hunger throughout next year’s farming season.

It will also enable them buy seed yams and other seedlings for next year’s farming season which starts from December.

“As we speak, there is an impending problem for the nation, which is hunger for the whole of next year, not only to the flood victims, but the nation at large because the flood washed away all the seed yams, seedlings of other crops harvested and un-harvested crops, including their properties which some of them acquired since the past 20 years.”